Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Hungover trip to Fabricland

Did you know that birthday cake vodka is a thing? Not like candy cigarettes, which are sweet and delicious and not really cigarettes and do not really cause cancer (unless you believe this guy). Oh no no, it exists and it's real vodka that causes real hangovers.

Wife and I went to a glamor shots themed NYE party last night (pictures will be posted, I promise). Our friend throws wonderful themed parties. Last year was Mad Men/60s themed, and we made my families version of swedish meatballs and pineapple upside down cupcakes (all veganized). This year, we made nothing to bring because we spent the entire day before traveling, which I'm pretty sure contributed to this wicked hangover.

Anyway.

I got an automated phone call the other day while driving my dog to the vet telling me Fabricland is having a 50-70% off sale today and tomorrow. We became members last month when I needed to buy fleece (and spring loaded scissors) to make a rag quilt for my dad. So, slightly hungover, I hauled my behind back to New Westminster after spending the night there then going home to do some fabric and pattern shopping.

Part of my goals for 2013 is to stick. to. patterns. I've done so much (failed) sewing without patterns, attempting to draft my own. I have the mind for it - I can look at shapes, do the math, coordinate the pieces, and put it all together... I just don't have the technical proficiency yet. I don't know how pieces should be shaped, how to fit garments properly, etc. So I'm going to stick with patterns for this year to grow my skills a bit.

Walking around Fabricland, it was so hard to stay away from the knits and think "I should make a dress out of this and this and this and..." without having a pattern in mind for it. I went in with 5 patterns in mind - all dresses and skirts (actually, most of them were Colette patterns) - and got fabric for 2.

I swore up and down I was going to stick to my list. I was only going to get fabric for an actual project. I had a list. I was so empowered.

I am such a sucker.

I spent $50 on 7.5 yards of fabric which isn't entirely bad. I'll get at least 3 projects out of it, maybe 4. One fabric was intended for a Meringue skirt, but I think it might be better suited for a beignet (which I think I like better, anyway, and I've already made before).

click to embiggen

The yellow is much more dark mustard and less orange in real life, though it really brings out the golden orangey tones in the speckley houndstooth printed twill next to it. The twill is going to be a Colette Pastille dress.

That zebra. Oh god, that zebra. I kept gravitating to the animals, I promised I wasn't going to get any unless it explicitly fit into a project, and then that sales person had to say "Oh you like animal prints? did you see that we have stretch lace leopard print?" why, no. No I did not. Oh god. I was able to resist until I walked a few paces away and noticed the floral stretch lace printed with zebra. One meter, I tell myself. Just one and I'll make due.

And then I got to the cutting table and my mouth said "two meters, please." Ugh, what a brat.

In other news, our friend left a gift on our doorstep when we got home this morning and it's a food dehydrator! I am mega thrilled to start using it. I'm taking a trip to costco tomorrow to pick up bulk edamame to dehydrate into quick, high protein snacks for school.

AND! Thanks to Scruffybadger, I'll be participating in Jungle January! I have so many animal prints to work through, I might as well make it a goal for this month!

Aboot

Lipstitching is a new sewing blog run by M, who is a femme identified genderqueer person originally from the mitten, now residing in occasionally-sunny Vancouver, BC with their wife. M is drawn to garish prints, bright colors, stretchy fabrics, vegan food (while M's wife is vegan, M is a vegetarian), roller derby, stiff drinks, and radical politics. M is also a grad student and does student-y type things.